


Two Girls

by firefliesforlanterns



Category: bare: A Pop Opera - Hartmere/Intrabartolo
Genre: Angst Train, Canonical Character Death, Don't Read This, F/F, Homelessness, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's 1AM, Ivy's up for interperetation, Soup Kitchens, This is Bad, i hate musical theatre, nadia is a Lesbean, she totally named her kid jason, this is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 08:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6511120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefliesforlanterns/pseuds/firefliesforlanterns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after their graduation, Nadia and Ivy find themselves at an odd reunion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Girls

**Author's Note:**

> this is really bad but i am the only human on earth who ships this so i must make the content myself

Churches always seemed to be a part of Nadia’s life. Once they were a place of worship, then of learning, and now, of refuge. She had been homeless since a few months after her brother’s death, when she had told her parents what they couldn’t bear to hear a second time, from their other child. She had been afraid, trapped in her home, a place full of violence and grief. Her father had told her to be straight or leave the family.

Nadia was now twenty, sitting in a church basement, sipping from a styrofoam bowl of hot soup. She was alone on her bench, trying to remember why she was here in the first place. She was interrupted by a young woman cradling a little boy. “Um, may I sit here?”

“Sure,” she said, and moved over to make room for the young mother. The lady’s face was so familiar to Nadia and yet…

“Excuse my asking, but are you Nadia McConnell? You look an awful lot like her,” she paused. “She was my roommate at boarding school.”

“Ivy?” Of course. How could she have forgotten Ivy Robinson, the girl who she tormented for years because of her own insecurity. “Long time no see, huh?” Nadia chuckled. “I know why I’m here, but… I never thought you’d end up being homeless.”

“I had to drop out of college because of, well, you know…” Ivy paused, glancing at the sleeping toddler that she held in her arms. “And my mom and dad didn’t want me back, of course. They all but abandoned me. So I’ve raised this little one on my own.”

Nadia scoffed. “Good Catholics.”

“So, why are you here, then?”

“That’s classified information. Let’s just say that my parents don’t like me very much.”

Ivy nodded. “I can’t believe we’ve met again. St. Cecilia’s seems like hundreds of years ago.” Her voice was soft, just short of breaking. 

“I know,” murmured Nadia. “It’s unreal.” The two women, hollow shells of the vibrant girls they were when they knew each other, sat there in silence. They both knew what Ivy had meant when she said “St. Cecilia’s”. The two were in a contest, a contest of who could bring the event up first without hurting the other in the process. Nadia glanced at the sleeping child that Ivy held. Great job, Nadia. You’re an aunt. You always wanted nieces and nephews.

But you didn’t want it like this, did you?

Nadia cleared her throat, knowing she was treading on thin ice with the question she was asking. “What’s the kid’s name?”

Ivy looked away. “Take a guess, Nadia.” Her voice was nearly a whisper now, her voice cracking. “I couldn’t name him anything else.”

Nadia’s eyes began to fill with tears. “Y-yeah. I get it.”

The silence dragged on as the two ate their soup. After what seemed like hours, Ivy took her turn to break the stillness between them.

“God, Nadia, I’m so lost. I’m nineteen, and I live on the streets. I hide in churches, of all places! I prayed every day and nothing has happened. Nothing.” Ivy put her head in her hands. “Is God punishing me for my sins? Is this it? What do I do?”

“Just try to find your way. What did you always want to do, before this all happened?” Nadia tried to calm Ivy, who had begun to sob.

“I wanted t-to draw. To be an a-artist. And I don’t think that now…”

“Do you still draw?”

Ivy shook her head. “Not since J-- not since he-- you know…”

“Then draw, Ivy. Maybe things don’t change, but if they won’t, why should you bother not doing what you wanna do?”

“It’s just that-- if he could see us-- would he know?”

Nadia affectionately wiped Ivy’s eyes on the sleeve of her ragged sweatshirt, attempting to dry her tears. “I dunno. I think he’d feel bad for all the shit he caused. His ex is a homeless mom, his sister ended up carrying on his legacy in the worst way possible for her family, his boyfriend almost killed himself too. But what’s done is done, y’know?”

“L-legacy?” Ivy’s voice was shaky. “What d-do you mean?”

Maybe it was the heat of the moment, the hurt and love she felt for Ivy, maybe it was missing her brother and the family that had so long ago loved her. For some reason, whatever it was, Nadia leaned in towards her former roommate, her brother’s former lover, the girl she had teased and shamed because of jealousy and her own misery, and kissed her. Ivy gasped a little, but not in fear or disgust: it was a gasp of pleasant surprise, a gasp of learning something new. She returned the kiss, her tears watering Nadia’s face and lips. Nadia drew back, realizing what she had just done. “Sorry. I didn’t meant to--”

Ivy gave Nadia a watery smile. “Don’t be sorry. I… that was exactly what I needed, I think.”

“I should go,” said Nadia. “Maybe I’ll see you again some time. Take care of my nephew, all right?”

“I-I will. I’ll see you, Nadia.”

“Bye, Ivy.”


End file.
